LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville's homeless population is shuffling from place to place right now since several of their camps have been taken down recently, but the problem is not going away. It has spurred a new take on the famous old song that kicks off the Derby – "My Old Kentucky Homeless".
“Like many cities we have a homeless issue,” producer of the music video, My Old Kentucky Homeless, Tom Mabe said. “There’s going to be 100,000 people singing this song at Derby and for a lot of people their home is a tent, their home is a box so I wanted to use that and bring attention to something that needs attention.”
Homeless Herbie walks the streets of Louisville in the video as he sings the state song.
“Herbie has been around for many years as a professional singer, sax player and he did have a rough patch for a while with drug addition and homelessness,” Mabe said. “But he found a way – he got out before it got him.”
The video includes images of the large homeless camp on Jefferson and Jackson Street, which city leaders cleared out in April.
“It was awful seeing those clear-outs when they were knocking down those tents, but it’s not healthy for the homeless folks nor the community,” Mabe said. “Until we figure out a way to fix the mental issue and the housing issue I don’t think it’s going to go away any time soon.”
The video has garnered half a million views and thousands of shares on social media.
“The goal was to tug at those heart strings,” Mabe said. “People are saying, ‘Oh my gosh how can I help out? What can I do? What can do to get involved?’ And that’s what we need.”
To watch My Old Kentucky Homeless, click here.